The Baha'is of Egypt have been subjected to persecution and systematic oppression. While their quest for equality has been finally heard by many of their fellow citizens, there remain challenges and obstacles to the implementation of laws intended to grant them their full civil rights and equal opportunity in their society. With the emergence of the new Egypt, they seek to be given the opportunity to actively engage in rebuilding their nation.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

The second article in the promised series on Egyptian Baha'is was published on 25 September 2006 in Rose el-Yousef newspaper. As before, the writer relies heavily on sensationalism and contemptible journalism.

This time he recounts the history of a Baha'i Family which was headed by the late Mr. Hussein Ruhi. It is not clear how the author had obtained his information since he does not use any references to support his story. The only reference he makes regarding this, is a vague description of how he had obtained his information by deceiving Mr. Ruhi's son, who was described by the author as: "an elderly Mr. Hassan Ruhi...who cannot differentiate between dreams and reality...and who did not realize that his documents and photographs would land in the hands of a man the age of his grandchildren who loves writing and adores documents in order to satisfy his readers."

It is truly tragic to witness such journalism that is devoid of ethics and integrity!

The purpose of this post is to expose the writer's intentions and to make these articles available to those who would want to respond to the inaccuracies indicated in the publication. The comment section of this blog is entirely open for such responses and clarifications. In addition to posting comments on this blog, members of the families mentioned in the article might also want to write to the editor of Rose el-Yousef with their thoughts, responses and corrections.

The other article published in Rose el-Yousef on the same day, is a report on a study regarding the Baha'i Faith conducted by Mr. Sameh Sayyid who was commissioned by al-Azhar's Islamic Research Council. The "researcher" admits that the Baha'i International Community had written a letter to al-Azhar with copies to Egypt's President Mubarak and Prime Minister Nazif, offering to collaborate with al-Azhar in this study, but apparently the offer was ignored, and the study was conducted without any input from the Baha'i Institutions nor the input of any reputable scholarly and unbiased agency.Of course the report exudes falsehood and the usual nonsense and misrepresentations--again nothing new! It also clearly illustrates the very poor scholarship and intellectual dishonesty exhibited by this "learned institution" and its so-called scholars and men of the law. All these accusations have been repeatedly addressed by authoritative as well as scholarly responses as can be seen (in English) HERE and (in Arabic) HERE. Other responses to al-Azhar (in Arabic) can be accessed HERE. Also, a letter which was written to Egypt's Minister of Justice prior to the completion of this "study" can be seen HERE.

This apparent "legal scholar" goes further to propose a solution to the ID Card dilemma with which the Baha'is have been faced. He offers that either the section on religion is left vacant or that it indicates "without religion." His justification is that the Baha'is as well as others who don't belong to the "three recognized religions" in Egypt "could be identified and treated accordingly." Here is another reminder of the grim past when people were selectively identified according to their religion so that they could be persecuted and rounded up whenever the need arises, as described in this previous post.

It has been published in the daily newspaper edition of Rose el-Yousef (established more recently). Therefore, it is separate from their weekly magazine publication. The website takes you only to the magazine and not the newspaper, that is why you--and I--could not find it. Apparently, so far there is no website for the newspaper.

hmmm, for such a small number of Bahais in Egypt, the clerical establishment is acting as thought it were set upon by a hundred wasps! Of course the wasps cannot be avoided, for they exist in the world of their mind. or is it more correctly that it is their conscious that is pricking them?

Well said Bilo,In contemplating the sufficiency of faith that one such as an Egyptian Bahai must have in order to go about the responsibilities of their life while coping with the criticism of society around them..I remember the comment the Christ made about the mustard seed's sufficiency to become a mighty tree.However there is also a complimentary spiritual law about the mind that contains even a mustard seed of doubt, which also has the potential to grow into a powerful tree.

To put ourselves wholly in the trust of God is both a mighty act and probably a continuing walk on a tightrope high above the average person's concerns.

Those who are alone and try to persevere according to the lights of their faith, probably become giants within their own mental kingdom.

Free Baha'is in Iran Now!

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“All the Prophets of God,” asserts Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitáb-i-Íqán, “abide in the same tabernacle, soar in the same heaven, are seated upon the same throne, utter the same speech, and proclaim the same Faith.” From the “beginning that hath no beginning,” these Exponents of the Unity of God and Channels of His incessant utterance have shed the light of the invisible Beauty upon mankind, and will continue, to the “end that hath no end,” to vouchsafe fresh revelations of His might and additional experiences of His inconceivable glory. To contend that any particular religion is final, that “all Revelation is ended, that the portals of Divine mercy are closed, that from the daysprings of eternal holiness no sun shall rise again, that the ocean of everlasting bounty is forever stilled, and that out of the Tabernacle of ancient glory the Messengers of God have ceased to be made manifest” would indeed be nothing less than sheer blasphemy.

“They differ,” explains Bahá’u’lláh in that same epistle, “only in the intensity of their revelation and the comparative potency of their light.” And this, not by reason of any inherent incapacity of any one of them to reveal in a fuller measure the glory of the Message with which He has been entrusted, but rather because of the immaturity and unpreparedness of the age He lived in to apprehend and absorb the full potentialities latent in that Faith.(Shoghi Effendi: The World Order of Baha'u'llah)